The mood was quite different in the Pafos and Olympiacos camps following their scoreless draw (0-0) in the second matchday of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan.
Ricardo Sa Pinto, at the press conference, focused on his players’ lack of effectiveness, acknowledged that the opponent was having a good day, but emphasized that such matches must be won.
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For his part, Giorgos Kostis called the draw a fair result and said he was pleased with the team’s overall performance.
Here’s what was said in detail:
Ricardo Sa Pinto (Paphos): “The key word is efficiency. That’s what we lacked today. We created a lot of chances, and if we’d been more effective, we would’ve won. Maybe we had more chances than Karmiotissa. The opponent closed down the spaces well, and we weren’t quick enough to make decisions. But we had plenty of chances, and if we’d been effective, we would have scored. Our opponent was having a good day, and their goalkeeper made some good saves. Against teams like that, when you’re not effective, it’s tough.”
On whether he believes that if he’d started with the players he brought on during the match, they would have secured the win: “We did enough to secure the win. Also, the opponent is a good team and plays well on the counterattack. We had a few minor issues. Some players were constantly on the verge of a red card. However, we have confidence in the players who started, and we could have secured the win with them as well. It’s early in the season, and the league is competitive. We’ll drop quite a few points. The championship will be decided in the playoffs. Of course, we have to win games like this while showing full respect for our opponent.”
Giorgos Kostis (Olympiacos): “Good evening, everyone. I have to start by talking about the Paphos team. We should be grateful to teams that are in the group stage. We’re a high-quality but new team, and we need time—based on that quality—to get better. I’m pleased, but we have another difficult match coming up against Omonia on May 29. History has shown us that after games like this, the team gets tired and needs proper management leading up to the next one. Both teams had their chances.
It was a fair result. It’s a matter of hard work, not a quick fix—you prepare your team during the week and go for the win or the best possible result. I’m saying this so we can improve. We were playing against a team with a big budget. To become a good team, we have to do a lot off the field as well. Our goal is to do justice to the prestigious jersey we wear.”
